Float Like a Superbird
by TeGustaONo
Summary: Strip Weathers and Lynda Weathers had kept it a secret that they had a daughter, somewhere out there, surviving on her own. When a red and black Plymouth Superbird speeds into town, Doc begins to wonder if this is the daughter of Dinoco's golden boy.
1. Chapter 1

**This isn't my first Cars fic, but the others I've written have never been posted, so this is the first one I've ever actually posted. We'll see how it turns out. :P I do not own Cars, Pixar owns Cars. I only own the two OC's, Ian and Oli. **

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It was a dusty day in Radiator Springs, with cars mulling about here and there. It was hot outside and the sky was streaked with purple, pink, and orange clouds, which floated by lazily. The sheriff was refueling at Flo's V8 station, while The King was giving Lightning McQueen a few good pointers for his next racing season. The hotshot, break out race car was as excited as ever for the next racing season. Doc Hudson was listening in on the conversation, unbeknownst to them.

So they weren't expecting anything unusual to happen on this particular day, and usually nothing unusual fell upon the little town. Just as Strip Weathers was finishing up his little speech, some car came racing up the road, causing Sheriff to stop what he was doing and drive down. "What's got into you, son?" he asked the car, stopping him in his tracks. The silver Ferrari gave the sheriff a quick look before gesturing behind him.

"Some chick is comin' up the road, like, really fast," the Ferrari replied, driving towards Flo's. Sheriff gave him a look and rolled his eyes – this particular car was always going on and on about something that never made any sense, or something that was completely untrue – so no one took it to heart. They all went back to what they were doing.

"Anyway, so now that you've got a good team behind ya," Strip continued, "you should do fine. Of course you were doin' fine last year, but a good team never hurt anybody." Lightning grinned and nodded as Sally floated over to them.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Lightning and I have a date," Sally slyly said, winking. The King understood and backed off, letting the two drive off together. When they were out of sight Doc drove over to the baby blue Plymouth Superbird and parked next to him.

"They ain't such a bad couple," Doc commented. The two racing veterans were parked in silence, completely content with each other's company. Finally, Doc said, "Thanks for keeping an eye out for Lightning. He doesn't always listen to me." Strip just gave him a knowing glance.

"It's nothin'," he replied. "Lightning's like family." Doc paused, looking at the Superbird. There was an underlying note in his voice, like he was remembering something or comparing Lightning to someone he once knew. Strip finally noticed this and he turned his gaze to Doc, curious. "What?"

"Nothin'," Doc replied, voice gruff. The two veterans watched as Sheriff drove down the road, heading back to his post at the Radiator Spring's sign. The silver Ferrari (his name was Ian) drove around in circles trying to convince the other cars about the speeding car he had seen bursting up Route 66 earlier that day. Of course, no one believed him. Doc chuckled and said absently, "Ian gets worked up over nothin'."

"Man, you can say that again," Strip agreed, watching Ian drive around. Finally, the silver car darted over to them and tried to convince them of the story, but it didn't do much good. Ian snorted and gave up, driving up Tailfin Pass to the Wheel Well motel, most likely to spy on Sally and Lightning. "Wonder where he comes up with all these stories."

Doc shrugged lightly as the sun sank further below the horizon. Strip sighed so the Hudson Hornet looked over at him and asked, "You got somethin' on your mind?" The Superbird just shrugged. "You're out of it today."

"I guess I'm just takin' it all in," Strip replied. "That I won't be racin' anymore."

"That isn't it," Doc responded. Before they could get any further into the conversation, Ian came bursting down the road, his ice blue eyes ablaze with the I-told-you-so look. "What's gotten under your hood, boy?" the Hornet asked, stopping Ian again.

"With all due respect, Judge Hudson," Ian began in a mock formal manner, "I told you so! Woo! I told this whole freaking town!" The silver Ferrari then proceeded to drive around in circles and shout out his happiness. Strip and Doc traded glances as Sally came down the pass, driving straight up to them. "Tell 'em, Sal!"

Sally took this as her cue, and she began by saying, "Apparently, Ian wasn't making up a story to get attention this time. Sheriff came driving by chasing after this car – and Ian drove out from behind a bush and screamed about how he had been right the whole time, and then he took off."

"Where's Lightning?" Strip queried.

"Probably followin' them!" Ian jumped in, stopping next to Sally. They all fell silent; they could hear an engine roaring in the distance. They all moved out of the way as a red car came speeding down the road, not even slowing down – only speeding up. Sheriff came bursting after the car, with Lightning in tow. Doc scowled, frowning. The car was relatively fast, but couldn't quite outrun Lightning, who blocked her path. She turned right around and came charging past, but The King and the Hudson Hornet cut her off this time. She glared at them with gray blue eyes, realizing that she was cornered.

Upon looking further, she was a Plymouth Superbird, (however these cars are rather hard to miss) with a black paint job, however, her hood was red and had two black racing stripes running through it. The top and trunk were red as well, with the same black racing stripes running through them. Her chassis and doors were black. And the tailfin was a sleek red color.

"What are you doin' disobeyin' the speed limit?" Sheriff asked, coming up to the small group. She just glared, sticking to silence rather than speaking. "Well it don't matter, you're gettin' hauled into custody either way. Mater!" The two truck in question left Flo's and drove towards them. The car tried to drive off, but Strip was in her way, preventing her from running from the law.

Doc noted that many of the citizens who were mulling around outside had started to stare as Mater towed her away, so he barked, "Alright, there ain't nothin' to see here!" and they all turned around and went back to their business. Turning back to Strip, he said, "These cars nowadays don't have any manners. I woulda been in more trouble than I can imagine if I had been caught speeding."

"Are you gonna let her off easy?" Strip questioned, looking at his friend.

"No. She's not gettin' off easy. She may have in other towns or cities, but not here," Doc replied decisively.

**)))**

In the morning, Doc headed down to the impound lot. She was wide awake, gray blue eyes cold. Sally was there, too, trying to offer her something to refuel, but Sheriff insisted that it was a bad idea, and she wouldn't take the fuel from Sally anyway. "Has she said anything?" Doc questioned, parking next to the sheriff.

"Nothin'," Sheriff replied gruffly, glaring at her. "She won't talk to save her life." The Plymouth just glared at them all. "Doc, just give her a punishment. Then we'll see what we can get outta of her." Sally eyed the two older cars and waited to hear what the punishment was going to be.

"What do you hate most, girl?" Doc asked, finally. The Superbird just stared at him.

"I _hate _racing," she finally replied, through gritted teeth. Doc smirked. "What?"

"You'll be McQueen's assistant, then," he responded.

"Doc," Sally interjected, "I don't think that's such a good idea…"

"Nonsense, Sally, why not? It'll teach her some manners!" the Hudson Hornet replied. "Somebody go get Mater and tow her over to Flo's. Have her refueled and then I'll introduce her to Lightning." With that, he and the sheriff drove off. Sally sighed and went off to find Mater, leaving her alone in the impound lot.

"Doc," Sheriff called out as they reached Flo's, "I have to agree with Sally." The King looked away from Lightning for a split second before looking back at the red racecar, but Lightning wasn't paying attention anymore. "That Plymouth ain't gonna learn anything from Lightning."

"Wait, what?" Lightning said, lurching forward slightly. "What are you talking about?"

Doc turned to the rookie and said, "She hates racing, so as punishment, she's your assistant." Lightning groaned but with a stern look from Doc, he shut his trap. Strip pulled out of Flo's and motioned for Doc to follow, so the older car followed after him. They started along the dirt path, going at a casual pace.

"I gotta say, with all due respect, I don't think it's a good idea, either," Strip confessed, looking at Doc apologetically. "Usually I'd agree with you, but what would she learn from Lightning? I know he's gotten better, but he's still a little cocky."

"Trust me," Doc replied, "it'll teach her some manners. And we'll be around Lightning just about all the time, so she won't be able to make a run for it." Strip did think that it made sense, what Doc was saying, but he still wasn't so sure. The older veteran nudged the Superbird. "It'll be fine." They turned around and headed back to Flo's, watching as Mater brought the Superbird in for a much-needed refueling. "Alright," Doc said, getting her attention as the tow truck let her go. She hit the ground with a thud, wincing slightly before looking back over at Strip and Doc. "What's your name?"

"Oli," she responded vaguely, straightening up a little bit.

"Where are you from?" Doc asked.

"I believe I'll keep that to myself, if that's a-okay with you," Oli replied, gray blue eyes still cold and distrusting.

"Fair enough," the old car replied. "Now, don't think about running because you'll have more than one racecar keeping an eye on you." Oli shifted uncomfortably and eyed the veteran racecars, before snorting and looking down. "Good girl." Doc was about to settle in when Ian came calling, ranting about how he felt like he was sick again and needed a tune up. "It can wait, Ian, I've got something to do." Strip nudged his old friend, and Doc looked at him.

"I got it," the Dinoco golden boy reassured him. "She ain't that hard to catch." Oli was about to protest, but she stopped short and watched as Doc rolled off the shop, following Ian in. Strip turned to Oli and was about to properly introduce himself, but she cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah, I know who you are," she grumbled, looking away.

"Respect!" Sheriff said, spitting out his fuel in anger and surprise. "That's The King, Strip Weathers! Girl, you need to learn a thing or two about manners."

"It's fine," Strip cut in, causing everyone to look at him in curiosity, surprise, and shock. He had a knowing look in his eyes, and Oli just stared at him, before scoffing and turning her eyes away again.

"You can't be much older than Sally," Flo commented, parking herself near her husband, Ramone. Oli glanced up and then asked how old Sally was. When the Porsche admitted her age, Oli explained that she was indeed older than Sally, but only by a few years. "Hm, so you got any parents around here? Or are you stickin' to that "keep it to myself" bit?"

"Well, my parents don't live around here; they travel a lot," Oli replied. "And I haven't seen them in a while, so I dunno how they're doin' or anything." As she was saying this she looked over at The King and then back to Flo.

"So, where'd you come from, hot rodder?" Sheriff asked, voice still gruff. Oli was not particularly fond of the sheriff, and he didn't like her, either, but she decided to answer, anyways.

"I was comin' from the South, I'm not _from _the South, but I was down there just roamin' around. And I decided I needed a break from the hustle and bustle and figured Radiator Springs was a nice little spot to take said break," Oli explained, shrugging lightly.

"You had to speed into town?" Sarge barked.

Simply shrugging again, she replied, "I can't help it." A lot of the other cars parked at the café stared at Oli, simply because she was a Plymouth Superbird. She was a little smaller than The King, and many people eyed them both and commented on how much they looked alike, besides the eyes and the paint job. This unnerved Oli, as she had always been proud to be a Superbird, but she had always been a little self-conscious. She shifted her gray blue eyes down once more, avoiding looking at others.

"Hey, move aside!" a gruff voice called out. The cars all made way as none other than Chick Hicks pushed his way through, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw the black and red Plymouth Superbird. "What? There's another one?" Strip smiled slightly at Chick's shocked expression, settling in to see what would happen. "Who're you?"

"Oli," she replied, giving him a glare. Chick circled around her, taking in the sight of a second Superbird. He'd had his hands full with Strip Weathers – but another one? "What do you want, racecar?" The mustached car paused and eyed her again.

"You a racer? What, are you Dinoco's new trophy car?" the green Buick snapped bitterly.

"I hate racing," she said simply.

"Well then, what's a car like you doin' in a place like this?" Chick asked, leaning on his left set of tires. "Because, this is the once-quaint town where Lightning McQueen set up his racing headquarters." Oli was not a level-headed car, and Chick was getting on her nerves. So she glared at him and revved her engine, moving towards him menacingly. He backed up slightly before scoffing. "Whatever, Superbirds are hideous anyways." With that being said, he took off, peeling out of the café like an escapee.

"That's right, loser, drive away! And FYI Superbirds are the best car out there!" Oli called after him, although she took Chick's words to heart and felt a little worse than she already did. Of course, most other cars often thought the same about Plymouth Superbirds. "I don't like that guy," she growled.

"Nobody likes Chick Hicks," Lightning cut in, smirking slightly. Oli just glanced back at him, before sighing. "Don't take what he said too personally, I mean, look at Mr. The King." The red and black car just gazed at Lightning before sighing this time in frustration. Before Lightning could ask what was wrong, Doc and Ian drove out of the clinic. The silver Ferrari approached them and seemingly bragged about how he had been extremely sick.

"I saw Chick drivin' off," Doc said, parking himself next to Strip. "What was that all about?"

"Chick was just passin' by," Strip replied, watching as Ian circled around Oli. "Y'know Doc," he added in a hushed tone, "I had a daughter once upon a time." Doc, at first, paid this comment no attention, until he realized what his friend had said. The older veteran looked over at Dinoco's golden boy. Strip smiled slightly and nodded. "Yup. Lynda and I were the proud parents of a Plymouth Superbird, took after me."

"_Had_?" Doc replied, blue eyes curious.

"She disappeared. Left a note and was gone," Strip explained. "Lynda doesn't like to talk about her." They looked back at Oli and Ian, who were arguing heatedly.

"Oli reminds you of her, don't she?" Doc asked knowingly. The King gave a small nod. "What was her name?"

"Oliver, because we wanted a boy, and we _thought _she was gonna be a boy, 'cause that's what the doctors told us," he explained. "When we found out she was a girl, Lynda didn't wanna change the name, 'cause we'd been referring to her as Oliver. She was blue, jus' like me." Doc looked at Oli again, and thought about it. Was this a coincidence? It couldn't be, could it? But Oli wasn't blue, and her name wasn't Oliver.

"Sorry," Doc said simply. Strip closed his eyes and made a gesture with his tire, as if saying that it was completely fine. "I'll keep an eye on Oli, if it makes you uncomfortable."

"No," Strip sighed. "It's fine. Just as long as Lynda doesn't see her." And that would be the easy part, because Lynda was on a trip to California with a few of her female friends. They were both a little startled – both brought back into reality when Oli peeled out of the café in a fashion similar to Chick. Sheriff was about to go after her, but Strip stopped him and said he'd take care of it.

The King followed Oli up to the Wheel Well, where she came to a halt. He drove up next to her, startling her. "Ian's a handful," he commented, looking up at the Wheel Well. Oli gave him a glance before driving forward slowly, approaching the ledge. She put it in park and sank down on her tires, exhausted. "So, why don't you travel with them?"

"Excuse me?" Oli replied, surprised by the question. He waited patiently and she finally responded by saying, "I'd just get in their way. 'Sides, it ain't like they _want _to hear from me." Strip looked at her like she was crazy.

"No, darlin'," he started, driving up next to her. "I'm sure they'd like to hear from ya. What in the world makes you think they wouldn't?"

"I dunno. Just… They never had time for me anyways," Oli responded, an underlying tone in her voice. "It was always race after race…after race…so it wasn't any fun for me, anyways." Strip thought about this for a moment, turning and looking out over the highway that led to Radiator Springs. Maybe that was why Oliver had taken off. Well, what was done was done.

"I could understand that," he replied, southern accent thick. "But I still think they'd like to hear from ya. Every once in a while, just so that they don't go crazy wonderin' if you're alright." Oli shrugged lightly and turned back around, driving over to the Wheel Well.

"So this is the Wheel Well I heard about, huh?" she commented quietly to herself, looking up at it. "It looks…well, it looks comfortable, I guess." Oli made a u-turn and drove over to Strip, who was still at the ledge. "You know, when I was littler, my biggest idol was The King, 'cause he was the only Plymouth Superbird that wasn't ashamed of the way they looked." She gave him a grin when he looked down at her. He just rolled his eyes and pulled out. The King started back towards the town, so Oli followed suit. They drove in silence, mostly just awkward silence, for Oli anyways.

"So I'm assuming you were picked on?" Strip asked, curving his path to the right and then back to the left, just for the fun of it. Sometimes, even big shot racecars liked to drive outside the lines.

"Not so much because of the fact that I'm a Superbird," Oli replied. "It was more of the fact that I was the dorky kid who was real tall and wasn't pretty and all that complicated crap that comes with going to school. But I suppose bein' the only Superbird in the class made matters different."

"I like Superbirds," Strip replied, following the curvy line again. Oli snorted and told him that it was because he _was _a Plymouth Superbird. He stopped short, and she drove around to face him. "Maybe." He grinned and Oli just rolled her eyes, grinning in spite of herself. "My daughter was a Superbird." They continued to drive.

"So, The King tells all," Oli responded slyly. "What was her name?"

"Oliver. You'd like her, don't know if she'd like you, though," Strip replied, driving in a straight line now.

"Why'd ya name her _Oliver_? You wanted a boy or somethin'?"

"Somethin' like that," he replied, as they came out onto the main road. They could see the town in the distance. "Listen up," Strip started, stopping and putting a tire out to stop Oli. She glared at the ground before looking at him with gray blue eyes. "Doc expects you to learn some manners, and for Pete's sakes, he's the Hudson Hornet – and truthfully, he's gettin' a little old – so try and shape up." Oli sighed and rolled her eyes, driving off. Strip followed after her, pulling into the café as she pushed past the other cars.

Sheriff smiled approvingly, saying, "Good work, son. Didn't think you'd be able to bring 'er back."

"You just have to know how to talk to the younger ones," Strip replied. "She ain't so bad, she's just arrogant." They watched as Oli snorted when Ian drove up to her.

"She needs discipline!" Sarge declared.

"Lay off man," Fillmore pointedly stated. "She's probably feelin' repressed by the man, man!"

"You and your hippie junk," Sarge muttered under his breath. Doc drove up after this and parked next to Sheriff.

"So she didn't take off, huh?" he asked, eyeing The King.

"Nah. She just went up to the Wheel Well," the baby blue car in question responded. "Just let her get used to things and she'll shape up."

"You got some kinda faith in her, Strip Weathers," Flo said. "Mmm-mm. No wonder you've got a good hood on your tires." She snuggled up to Ramone and said, "Wish we had a kid right about now." Her husband, who was painted sleek purple today, looked at her incredulously. Flo rolled her eyes and looked at Strip, who was content with himself at the moment. "You got any kids? You sure seem to be smart with 'em."

"I had one, Oliver, but Lynda won't talk about her," Strip explained for the third time that day. Everyone else seemed surprised. "Oli is a lot like her, so it's pretty easy to figure out what's runnin' through that hood of hers." Flo grinned and nodded, looking over at Ramone. The King chuckled to himself and looked over at Doc, who was shaking his hood.

"Well, this should be pretty interesting," he commented. "Strip, if you don't mind, let's take McQueen down to Willie's Butte and have him get some practice in. You can round up the Superbird." Doc and Lightning headed towards the old dirt track, while Dinoco's golden boy went and "rounded" up Oli. The Superbirds met with Doc and Lightning down on the track.

"Alright, Lightning, let's have a little race, you and me," Doc challenged.

"I'd like to get in on this little race," Strip voiced, driving towards them.

"What about Oli?" Lightning asked in shock. Strip looked back at her and shrugged lightly.

"She ain't goin' nowhere."

"But she'll make a run for it, with all due respect, Mr. The King," Lightning responded, looking over at the Plymouth Superbird. She flashed a quick smirk, which creeped the rookie racecar out a little bit.

"I think he's got that covered, Lightnin'," Doc said. "We'll keep an eye on her while we race." The younger car just shrugged and nodded as Strip took his place next to them.

**

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Review - tell me what you thought about the first chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to the peeps who reviewed! I hope this chapter works, the ending was thrown together, but even though that's the case, I still think the ending was cute in its own, weird way. Enjoy! **

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Lightning was pumped up and ready for the practice run around Willie's Butte, especially since he was going up against the Fabulous Hudson Hornet and The King. Forgetting the fact that Oli was watching from the sidelines, he revved his engine in excitement. The thrill of races was what always kept him going, and this time, he planned on winning. Doc started up his engine along with Strip, and the three cars hesitated for a moment, before the Hudson Hornet yelled, "Go!" and the two veteran racers took off, leaving McQueen in the dust.

The rookie racecar was shocked but he took off after them. He had failed to notice that Oli had disappeared from her spot on the sidelines. Lightning hightailed it across the dirt and caught up to the more experienced cars, but they were, for the most part, evenly matched. Strip would surge into the lead, and then Doc would take over, followed by Lightning. However, the rookie was pushed back when the two older cars cut him off. He put in high gear as the dust rose around them, and that's when he felt something brush across his chassis.

And then an engine revved and even more dust flew into his grill, causing him to cough slightly. But he was back on track in no time and that was when he realized Oli was gone – and she was right in front of him. "What the…? No way!" Lightning exclaimed, catching up to her. She just winked and put the pedal to the metal, as he said, "I thought you hated racing!" Doc caught sight of her and slowed up, causing Strip to do the same. Oli and Lightning flew past them, and the two veterans traded glances before charging after them. The rookie racer would catch up to Oli, but she'd speed up to avoid questions.

They were coming up to the turn that Lightning had always had trouble with, but he wasn't all that worried about it. Oli disappeared from his right side and came back around to his left, taking the turn closer to the inside since she wasn't all too adept at power sliding. She almost slammed into Lightning but he moved out of the way, giving her time to speed up, leaving him in the dust. Strip and Doc flew past him, catching up with Oli.

Doc came up on her left while The King came up on her right, but she wasn't too worried as they came across the finish line. Exhausted, she stopped. Lightning came up angrily, his tire hitting the dirt. "What was that about?" he demanded, pushing past Doc. Oli just shrugged and lowered onto her tires to catch her breath. "You're supposed to hate racing! Not jump in during a practice run!"

"You're a little too cocky for your own good," Oli finally replied. "Thought I should be the one to teach you that lesson." Lightning gave her a skeptical look, and then what she did next caught them all off guard. The Superbird took off, leaving all three of them on the dirt track. Strip was the first to kick it into high gear to go after her, with Doc following closely behind him.

Sheriff was at Flo's, listening to another one of Ian's ridiculous stories, which was the norm. In truth, Sheriff was pretty much Ian's father-figure, and regardless of what anyone said, he didn't mind keeping the kid out of trouble. The sound of squealing tires and revved-up racecar engines startled everyone, and when they heard two cars knock against each other, the sheriff stepped in, only to find a curious sight before them.

Flo laughed as the two Superbirds in the middle of the road straightened themselves out. Strip had caught up to Oli first and she had stopped short, catching one of his tires by accident. As a result, they collided and skidded to a halt. The King waited for the younger car to get her bearings before moving to block her path. "What's she doin', tryin' to run?" Sheriff asked, driving towards them.

"I figured as much," Doc cut in, rolling up to them. The cars on the road had all congregated and were watching as Oli cringed away from the town's judge. "You ain't supposed to cause this much commotion, so I'm really thinkin' about just lettin' you go. You'll be the death of anyone of us." The Superbird shrugged, even though she did look a little hurt. Before anything else could be done, Strip chuckled lightly and looked at Doc.

"She ain't willin' to leave," Dinoco's golden boy said, a knowing look in his eyes. Oli gave him a slightly annoyed look, which he just responded to by saying, "If I'm wrong you can go ahead n' leave." Moving out of the way while noting the glare from Sheriff and the curious-yet-annoyed look from Doc, he gestured to the open road with one tire. "S'all yours." Oli turned and gazed over the open terrain – he was letting her go.

"Strip, what're you doin'?" Sheriff asked, turning on the police siren. Suddenly, Oli snorted and turned around, zooming off. She ducked behind a building, but she wasn't leaving town. Flo laughed again and looked on in surprise. The racing legend just lowered onto his axles, looking as if it was all too easy to deal with. Sheriff mumbled something and turned off his police siren, as Lightning drove off to find Sally.

After this, the congregation of cars cleared out and went back to their business, as Doc and Strip moved off to the side and relaxed, resting on their axles. "That's some faith you got in her, Weathers," Doc finally said.

"Thanks Doc," King replied. "But when dealin' with the rebellious ones, all ya gotta do is tell them they can do whatever they want, y'know, act like it won't bother you. That's what they want – a reaction. When they don't get a reaction, they'll look for somethin' else." Doc was a little surprised, but he didn't know why he was. Strip had always been easy-going (except when he was out on the racetrack) and it made sense as to why he could handle things this way.

"I still don't like her," Doc finally replied.

"She reminds me of myself, more than anything," Strip admitted. The navy blue Hornet beside him eyed him skeptically – The King – like Oli? The car in question just chuckled. Doc was beginning to wonder if the red and black Superbird knew something that nobody else did. A thought struck the town's judge, suddenly.

"Strip, what color eyes did you say Oliver had?" Doc asked.

"I didn't. But they were gray blue," Strip responded. "Why?"

"Jus' wonderin'," the old doctor said vaguely. His friend gave him a knowing look.

"That's not it," Strip said, but before any more questions could be asked, Doc drove away.

**)))**

Oli sighed and looked out at the dirt road before her. She had been given the opportunity to leave, but she had denied it. She didn't want to stay in town, but she couldn't help it. The Superbird was startled when Doc came up next to her, parking there. "I think you're hidin' somethin'," Doc said flatly, looking at her with hard blue eyes. She looked back at him and blinked once or twice. "A Plymouth Superbird randomly dropping by Radiator Springs ain't a coincidence." Oli felt her engine warm up – she was nervous, but she was frozen in place.

"I ain't hidin' nothin'," Oli replied defensively, but Doc could see that she was lying.

"You got a lotta nerve, kid," Doc said. "What're you hidin'."

"You'll tell Strip," she shot back, still keeping her walls up. She wasn't about to let them down without a fight, even if it was a fight with the judge.

"What makes you say that? This ain't about _Strip_, and that's Mr. Weathers to you. This is about _you_," Doc responded, blue eyes cold. Again, Oli felt her engine warm up. Well this was great – just absolutely great! She shifted her gray blue eyes away and tried to figure out an alternative. She could probably outrun Doc, but then again, he _was _the Fabulous Hudson Hornet… "Now, what're you hidin'?"

"But… I refuse to tell you!" Oli replied, kicking it into high gear. She peeled out, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake. Doc glared after her, before starting after her. She couldn't get that far.

**)))**

The first place she hit was Tailfin Pass, and luckily it was relatively deserted. That is, until she came around the corner and slammed hard on the brakes. She skidded to a halt, looking over at the slightly surprised car before her. "What're you runnin' from this time?" The King asked, driving forward. She looked past him, hoping she had ditched Doc farther back.

"Nothin'," she replied, avoiding eye contact.

"You're lyin'," Strip replied. "Cars jus' don't come flyin' up here without a reason." _What…? This is messed up, get your dang head together, Oli! You did NOT come here to get tied up in sticky situations! _

"I ain't lyin'," she replied, trying her best to look innocent. _Lie better! _She told herself mentally. Shifting her gray blue eyes up again, she said, "Really. I just needed to blow off some steam." _Girl, you suck at lying. _

"Oli, you're gonna get yourself in trouble. You're in deep enough, so what're you runnin' from? I'm not gonna tell Doc," Strip reassured her. _Don't listen! You'll get thrown back in the dirty impound lot! _But there was a lot of sincerity in his voice and eyes, so she sighed.

"Doc."

"C'mere," the light blue Superbird said, driving past her. She followed after him and he seemed to be thinking for a moment. "Oli," but that wasn't the right way to start. "I'm tryin' to keep ya _out _of trouble." There was a little bit of disappointment in his voice. _Good going, idiot. Now look what you've done, even Strip's disappointed. Way to go! _

"Sorry," she whined, looking over at him with hurt gray blue eyes.

"Well, what'd Doc want?"

"Umm… I dunno…" Oli lied again. Strip gave her a knowing glance, but didn't press it any further. She was thankful that he wasn't pushing the subject. "I'm sorry…" She felt remorse, but only because the other Superbird was disappointed in the slightest. Other than that, she didn't care. They came up to the Wheel Well, where there were a few visiting cars.

"Hey, good to see ya, Strip," one said, driving up to them. It took him a few seconds to notice the other Superbird next to him. "I don't think we've met, I'm Darrell Cartrip. And you are?" The gray car looked at her expectantly.

"Oli," she replied.

"Well it's nice to meet ya. We don't see very many Plymouth Superbirds around here, or anywhere, for that matter," Darrell replied. "Anyway, whaddaya doin' all the way up here? I figured you'd be trainin' with McQueen."

"Oli here got into some trouble so I brought her up here," Strip responded.

"Hidin' her?" Darrell chuckled.

"Pretty much, yeah." They heard another car coming, so they both did their best to block the red and black Superbird from view. However, it was only a false alarm, as it was just a passerby. Breathing sighs of relief, they moved out of the way and looked at Oli for a moment. She did look strikingly similar to The King, but it wasn't anything you could pass judgment on.

"Paint her blue and she'd be your twin," Darrell commented.

"'Cept for the eyes," Strip pointed out.

"Me? Nah, I'll stick to my red and black paintjob," Oli replied quickly. Darrell shrugged lightly, along with The King. The red and black Superbird looked at them both for a moment, before turning and driving to the edge where she parked and rested on her tires. This worrying was killing her, making her tired. If she wasn't worried about Doc chewing her out for something, she was worried about something else entirely. Sighing with worry, she dozed off, the thought, _"Is all this worry worth it in the end?"_ floating through her mind.

**)))**

That night, Strip and Darrell came back up Tailfin Pass and realized Oli had slept all day. "I got it," the light blue racing legend said, driving over to her. He nudged her gently and she woke up with a start. "It's just me, it's just me." She looked at him with tired eyes. "Jus' get inside and get some sleep. You'll need it."

"I'm not tired," she replied, but they both knew it was a lie.

"Darlin', we both know you are."

"But what about…Doc?" she asked, sounding more exhausted than she looked.

"Darrell and I can cover for ya." With that being said, she nodded. Oli was too tired to argue, and she figured Strip wouldn't lie about something like that.

"You gonna stay up here or go back down and stay with Sally…I mean at Sally's place…" This just proved how exhausted the red and black Superbird was. "Ya know what I mean."

"I'm goin' back to the town," he replied. "But Darrell's up here, you'll be fine."

"I'm not worried," she said with mock-anger, but she gave up when she realized just how tired she was.

**

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Review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to the readers and reviewers! :P This chapter was gonna be longer, but I think it turned out quite well. There are still many more chapters to come after this one, however. Enjoy! **

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When Oli woke up in the morning, there was a slight drizzle outside. She didn't mind the rain, however, so it didn't bother her. She realized she was still up at the Wheel Well, and she remembered the events of the previous day. Doc was probably still angry, but he was grumpy most of the time, or so she thought. Driving over to the ledge again, she put it in park and rested on her tires. She contemplated whether or not to drive back to the town or not.

Deciding against it, she pulled out and went for a drive along Tailfin Pass, since there was nothing more for her to do. This time, there were more cars populating the old dirt roads and the worn concrete roads, and they stared at her as she passed. Plymouth Superbirds were incredibly rare; nowadays they were isolated to families more than anything else.

Oli crossed one of the older bridges and she was stopped by a silver car. He was flashy and had couple boost tanks. She paused as he and his three other friends gave her the once over. A little known fact about Oli was that her engine was that of a racecar's. "Move aside, boys," she started, but they didn't budge. She glared at them with gray blue eyes, but they just laughed.

"What're you gonna do?" the silver car taunted. She noted that the one in the back had a ladder-like spoiler, and a neon green paint job with purple flames. "Just turn around and go the other way." Oli could've easily done this, but she wasn't a level-hooded car, and she rolled her eyes. "What, you think you can get past us?"

"Yeah, I do," she retorted smartly. "Let's have a race. See who can get to the town first. If I win, you leave me alone, and if you win, I won't come back up Tailfin Pass. How about it?" The red and black Plymouth Superbird revved her racecar engine as the four boys looked at each other. "You think you'll win, don't you?"

"Of course we're gonna win," the silver car replied. "First one to the town wins." The five cars lined up and revved their engines, trying to outdo each other. "By the way, the name's Boost, because you won't forget it when we're done with this race." Boost took off and Oli was right behind him. They weaved their way along the roads, narrowly avoiding other cars. Boost fought dirty, trying to slam into Oli whenever she gained on him. But she'd just fall back and lose ground in the process. Knowing this wouldn't work, she decided that if she couldn't beat them, she'd need to join them.

She came up next to Boost and slammed into him. He was caught off guard and he almost spun out, giving Oli enough time to gun it, speeding ahead. The other three of Boost's "groupies" took off after her. They were coming to the end of Tailfin Pass when Boost caught back up to her. She avoided him for the most part, but they swapped paint a couple of times.

The five cars burst into town, just as Doc was leaving his office. Strip was right next to him when they heard shouting and screeching tires. There was a crash and a bang and they could hear tires popping. Boost emerged from the fray, but he was beat up and there were black and red smudges all over his silver chrome paintjob. Oli, however, wasn't as lucky. Her back left tire had popped, and Boost's silver paint was smudged across her chassis from where they had collided. The other cars had veered out of the way and were watching from the side of the road.

Boost spun right around and glared at Oli, who returned the glare with as much anger. Her engine revved and she started forward, but she didn't get very far before she realized her tire had popped. Doc looked furious, along with Sheriff, who drove up and knocked Boost in the side. The silver car shouted in surprise and anger, but Mater towed him off to the impound lot.

Oli sat in the middle of the road, realizing what had just happened. The other three cars circled around her for a moment before driving off, not wanting to be caught by Sheriff or by Doc. She, like Boost, was beat up from colliding with him, and most of the cars were scowling at her. Strip stayed over near the office, while Doc drove over and knocked the red and black Superbird in the side. Not as hard as Sheriff had done to Boost, but still. She scowled at the ground while Doc told her that she had broken the "no speeding" law more than once, and that she wasn't getting off easy this time. Strip didn't bother to intervene this time; he'd talk to Oli later. "Mater, get her to Luigi's so she can get these tires fixed. Then she's gettin' a real punishment!" Doc called out to Mater. The tow truck drove over and hooked her up, pulling her to Luigi's.

Doc left her alone while the little Italian car fixed her tires. Strip, however, drove in slowly. Guido glanced at him before saying something to Luigi in Italian, the only language the little blue vehicle knew. Leaving two of her tires unfinished, they drove outside to wait, because obviously The King needed to talk to her. There was an awkward silence as Oli shifted her gray blue eyes to the polished floor, in a lame attempt to get Strip to stop looking at her with that disappointed look, but she knew that it hadn't worked.

"Oli, look at me for a sec," The King started. She was surprised that his tone was soft, as she had expected him to be angry more than anything else. Looking up, she met his gaze. "What're you doin', girl? You're only gettin' yourself into more trouble." Again, his tone was soft but she could hear the hint of disappointment in his voice. Oli would never admit it out loud, but the last thing she wanted to do was disappoint Strip. He was trying to look out for her, but she kept making things even harder on herself. She cared what other cars thought, but not nearly as much as she cared about what The King thought. "I can't help you this time, 'cause Doc is mad. He doesn't even get this mad when Chick tries to interfere with Lightning's trainin'."

"I'm sorry," she replied with a sigh, looking down again. Oli only cried when she was in real, true blue pain, or when she was desperately upset about something. But she could feel the tears coming on, so she did her best to hold them back. "But Boost was…well he wouldn't let me pass and he thought he could beat me in a race and…" She stopped when Strip chuckled. "What?"

"I thought you weren't a racer," he replied.

"Oh – I'm not!" she said quickly. "But…I couldn't help myself…" Oli continued looking down at the polished floor, too afraid to look back up at King. "I…uh…forget it…" She was ashamed of herself, but she didn't regret her actions. She had been trying to show Boost up, and in a sense, she had. Of course, this wasn't even close to over between the Delinquent Road Hazards and Oli.

"I ain't mad at ya," Strip told her. "Jus' be more careful. You coulda gotten hurt, or someone else might've."

"OK," she replied with a sigh. "Whaddaya think Doc's gonna do?" Strip shrugged lightly. She looked out the window and sighed again. "Doesn't the racin' season start soon?" she asked curiously. The only time she'd be able to get away from Doc was when he went with Lightning to the races – unless she had to go with them. Shuddering at the thought, she glanced back at The King.

"Firs' race is tomorrow," he replied. "They're headin' out today. I was gonna go, but I'm jus' not feelin' up to it. Anyway, let me get outta your way, so Guido can do his job." Strip backed out and drove over to Flo's, and Guido and Luigi drove back in. Oli stared at the polished floor, wondering what was going to happen next. Doc was really, really, _really_, angry with her…

Guido and Luigi finished up and sent her off, so she drove over to Flo's, trying to avoid being spotted by Doc or Lightning. They were both talking to Mack, but she was paying so much attention to those three and those three only that she didn't see Sheriff waiting for her. She bumped into him and jumped back in surprise, engine racing. "When Doc and Lightnin' get back from Palm Mile Speedway, you're goin' to traffic court," he told her firmly. His glare was cold and she was a little unnerved, not that she'd ever admit it out loud. The sheriff backed up and drove back over to his spot at Flo's, settling on his axles. Oli blinked a few times before starting back up, making her way past Flo's, and onto the dirt road that led out farther into the desert-like areas of Radiator Springs. She parked in the shade of a tree and waited for Mack, Doc, and Lightning to pull out. When they finally did, it started to rain a little harder.

She realized she was still nicked with silver chrome paint, but she didn't want to face any of the town's residence. However, the nicks made her stand out even more. Oli scoffed and in spite of herself, she drove slowly back over to Flo's. The low rider that was married to Flo was painted a sleek, shiny green color today, with accents of a darker green. Oli tepidly drove forward, pausing for a moment. Flo looked over at her and gave her a smile. Oli returned it with a timid grin in spite of herself; Flo just had that personality that made you more comfortable with yourself.

"Your paint's really nicked up," Sally spoke up. "You and that Boost guy must've really swapped some paint!"

"That isn't anything," Ramone piped up, looking Oli over once to survey the damage done to her paint job. "I could have that fixed in no time, flat. Plus, I could give her an even better paintjob, maybe with flames. Yeah, yeah, I like the flames!" Oli was about to protest when Flo nudged her husband.

"What about Dinoco blue?" Flo wondered. Ramone looked at Oli and drove around her. "She'd look good in Dinoco blue. Most Superbirds do." She looked over at Strip who was watching with an amused expression in his eyes. Oli didn't have any time to protest. "She already looks enough like The King, so why not?"

"No, I'm good with my red and black paint job," Oli quickly said, before anyone else could say anything.

"You'd look good," Sally piped up.

"As I said, this is like my trade mark paintjob! I'm good," Oli responded. Her gray blue eyes shifted to the ground again. "I'd just like the regular paint job…" Flo shrugged lightly and looked over to Ramone. The low rider shrugged as well, and told her he could take care of it later on that day. Oli sighed in relief and realized she'd have the whole day to herself. That made her grin, because knowing Oli, she could cause as much trouble as she wanted.

"Don't even think about it," Strip and Sheriff said at the same time, when they saw the wild look in her gray blue eyes. She looked from one to the other, and realized that she'd have two cars keeping her out of trouble. "I got it," Strip told Sheriff. The police car glanced at him, but in response he said, "Don't worry about it. I ain't gonna go easy on her if she gets herself into any trouble."

Oli rolled her eyes as another car drove up to the V8 station. This particular car looked to be an older model of the Corvette Sting Ray, with vibrant green eyes and a slick golden-yellow paintjob. "'Scuse me," she said to Oli, passing by her. "Hey, Strip Weathers!" The light blue Superbird looked over at her and realized who she was. "Yeah, it's Stacy." She grinned.

"Stacy, I thought you'd be out in Cali with Lynda," Strip replied, grinning. Oli looked at him confusedly, with the rest of the cars who were congregated there. "Oh, sorry folks. This is one of Lynda's friends, Stacy. She's been a friend of ours for a while." Stacy waved a tire at the townsfolk.

"Well, I decided to come out here first and pay you a visit," Stacy replied, another silly grin on her face. "Lynda said I should come see how you were doing." The yellow Corvette Sting Ray looked at all the others cars before she finally spotted the red and black Plymouth Superbird parked a few feet away. Her eyes showed just how curious she was. "Hey Strip, doesn't she remind you of Oliver?" Stacy asked, circling around Oli.

"That's what I thought, too," The King replied. Oli didn't say anything, which made both Flo and Stacy a little curious.

"No, I'm serious, dead serious, Strip," Stacy said, her voice soft. "She looks just like Oliver, except this one's got the red and black paintjob instead of the Dinoco blue. Hun, what's your name?" Stacy stopped in front of Oli, who just stared at her. Oli's engine heated up slightly in embarrassment and fear.

"Oli," she finally managed. Stacy turned right around and looked at Strip.

"What?" he asked, looking from Oli to Stacy.

"Strip," Stacy emphasized, gesturing to Oli with her left tire. "Lookit. That's Oliver."

"What? What makes you say that?" Strip replied, confused.

"Look at her! That's your daughter!" Stacy pointedly stated. "The voice, the eyes, the attitude, and the type of car she is. It's Oliver. With all due respect, but your paternal instincts suck, if I can recognize your child and you can't." Stacy was rather blunt about all this, and Strip turned his brown eyes to Oli, who backed up a little bit. "That's her. I'm sure of it. And, if Lynda saw her, she'd say it was Oliver, too."

"Oliver?"

**

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Review! And this is _not _the last chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to the readers and reviewers! I've determined that this story will probably be _more than _10 chapters, but that's just a rough estimate. Enjoy this chapter! **

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Oli peeled out of Flo's V8 café, startling Stacy. The yellow Sting Ray kicked it into high gear and drove after her, along with Strip and Sheriff. The red and black Superbird gunned it when she realized they were following her, and a thought struck her. She pulled over and hit the button that opened the impound lot gate. Boost looked at her skeptically, but she just gestured to the road before them, before taking off. Boost drove out of the impound lot and looked behind him. He didn't have anything to lose, so he burned rubber and followed Oli.

When he caught up to her, he asked, "OK, you got me out this far, so where're we goin'?" Oli just sped up, so he did the same. They sped down the road, finally reaching the Radiator Springs sign. Boost was a little confused, but he could've cared less. This was his ticket to freedom, and obviously Oli was driving with a purpose. The two cars flew past the sign and kept going, no hesitation befalling them.

Surprisingly enough, they were both relatively fast cars, which made it easier to cover more ground. But, this made it harder for Sheriff and Stacy to keep up. They reached the sign and Sheriff came to a stop. Usually he didn't have to drive this fast, so his engine was definitely not ready. Stacy hit the brakes and came to a halt flawlessly. Strip was farther ahead but he turned around and came back, looking at Sheriff with a look of concern. "Sheriff, if ya have to, stay here. Stacy and I can go after 'em," The King assured him. The police car caught his breath.

"You'd need…a police escort to be able to catch them," the sheriff explained. "Dang Delinquent Road Hazards! I knew Oli was trouble the first time she came speedin' into town! This time, Strip, we're bookin' her, whether she's your daughter or not!" Stacy sighed but she and Strip both knew that it had to be done, regardless of what they thought. The three turned and took off down the road, Sheriff's sirens blaring.

Back in the town, the residence were in a state of shock. Flo shuffled around, giving people encouraging smiles, but nothing really helped. Sheriff was gone, along with The King and the newcomer Stacy had taken off with them. Doc and Lightning were headed for Palm Mile Speedway, along with Mack, so there was no one to keep the town from falling apart. Sally was the town attorney, so she figured she'd have to be the one to step up and take Doc's place as judge until he returned.

And with Lightning, he was chillaxing in his trailer, staring out at the passing scenery, listening to a catchy, upbeat song. When the in-trailer phone went off, he hit the button lazily, until he saw that it was Tex, the owner of Dinoco. "Hey, Tex, I wasn't expecting you to call," Lightning commented, a little worry flashing in his blue eyes. Had something come up? Was it something to do with The King? "Is there something wrong?" There was a long pause on the other end until Tex responded.

"Have you looked at the news at all in the past few minutes? 'Cause I think you should take a look," Tex responded. Lightning paused before directing his attention to the in-trailer flat screen. He flicked a couple channels until Tex told him what station it was. Finally finding it, he realized they were broadcasting straight from Radiator Springs. The reporter played out the whole time line of previous events, involving Sheriff, Stacy, Strip, Oli, and Boost.

"This just happened?" Lightning blurted out, staring up at the screen.

"Yup," Tex replied. "I think I have a feelin' they're headin' to Palm Mile Speedway. So I figured you could head 'em off. Since you're on your way there." Lightning told Tex that he would do just that, and the two ended their conversation. The red racecar wondered if Doc knew anything about this yet, but for now, he'd let bygones be bygones.

Oli and Boost booked down the highway, disregarding the rules of the road. It was a lot easier to do things in sync since they were both avoiding the "fuzz" as Oli had dubbed Sheriff. Boost had to wonder what had happened to DJ, Wingo, and Snotrod. "Alright, let's get something straight," the silver car started as they bypassed a few slower cars. "If we're gonna get outta this together, then we gotta call the crew."

"The crew?" Oli questioned. "Wait, you mean those other cars you were with…? Alright… Fine, but first we have to make it to the next exit. Another thing, we're going to Palm Mile Speedway." Boost looked at her with a questionable glare. "Since I don't have anything to lose – or gain – I'm goin' to cause as much trouble for McQueen as you can imagine. So, you in or what?" Boost thought about it for a split second before nodding.

"Something I've been waiting to do for a long time," Boost replied, grinning wryly. "So, what's making you go all anti-goody-two-shoes?" Oli just shrugged, even though she knew why. After all, there was no one to stop her. Nobody to tell her she _couldn't _go on the run with a delinquent and his groupies, and no one to tell her she couldn't cause McQueen trouble. It's not like The King had been able to stop her before, so why would he be able to stop her now?

**)))**

That night Boost and Oli reached a rest stop where they could make the call to DJ and the others. "Hurry up," Oli prompted, nudging Boost with her tire. The Superbird was the one keeping watch, in case someone came looking for them. "We don't have a lot of time. Pretty soon, people all over will know who we are." Oli mumbled as she rolled her eyes.

"I always wanted to be famous," Boost joked as he made the call. Oli tapped her tire against the floor of the little shop; she was hyped up on adrenaline and she couldn't sit still to save her life. As soon as they got a hold of DJ, the car with the subwoofer knew what was up. "Yo, DJ," Boost started. "Bring the guys out to Palm Mile. That's where we're headed. We're gonna cause McQueen some trouble." DJ laughed on the other end of the line and said he'd be there with the guys in no time, flat. The two cars ended their conversation. "Alright, let's get out of here before we get caught."

Just as the two cars were about to leave, they spotted the yellow Corvette Sting Ray pulling into the parking lot. "How are they this close to us?" Oli demanded. She and Boost went for the back door, barely making it out as Stacy entered the shop. The two cars drove as quietly as possible to the side of the building in the darkness, checking out the scene. Sheriff and Strip were waiting outside for Stacy. "How are we gonna get past them?" Oli wondered out loud. Boost nudged Oli and revved his engine softly; the Superbird caught on quick. The two cars counted to three and revved their engines as loud as possible, causing the two other cars to look their way. They disappeared behind the building and made a break for it. It was enough of a distraction and they were able to get out onto the highway.

Stacy exited the shop and smiled sheepishly, saying, "Sorry about that…I hadn't gone since this morning." The King and the sheriff just nodded. "But while I was in there I asked the clerk if he had seen a Superbird at all lately – and he said he just saw one drive off with a hoodlum-looking car. Think it coulda been Oli? 'Cause that's my guess. They couldn't have gotten too far." Sheriff turned his police siren back on.

"We did hear somethin' behind the building," Sheriff started, "but there ain't nothin' back there. We checked. We should git goin' if we're gonna catch 'em." Stacy nodded and took off, with Strip and Sheriff in tow. Stacy wasn't the best driver in the world, even though she appeared to be skilled. She was a gorgeous car, and she had a certain, warm personality. She was intelligent, as well, but she was a driver that took risks. She had been in her fair share of wrecks over the years. Stacy swerved in between the cars, speeding past. But having a police escort made her seem like a decent driver, or at least that's what _she _thought.

Finally, they reached a less clogged stretch of road, but they didn't slow down. Sheriff was a little curious about Oli, so he coughed noticeably and said, "So, why's Oli actin' this way? I'd think that a car with a sensible daddy like Strip Weathers would have some manners." Strip sighed and thought for a moment before giving his response. Sheriff listened intently.

"Well, Oli, or Oliver, wasn't always that way. She used to be a normal kid, until she grew up. I can't really call her a kid anymore. She used to behave herself, but knew how to have some fun. Lynda was the one who put her tire down when it came to most things, but Oli was happy enough. And then we woke up and she wasn't there, all she left was a note. I never could figure out why she left. I guess it was 'cause of all the traveling we had to do with the races and everything," The King explained.

"Kids grow up and become adults, but most of 'em don't know how to handle it," Sheriff replied knowingly. He'd seen good kids become messed up adults, and it was sad, even in his eyes. "Sorry about it, Strip. It probably wasn't anything you did."

"Still can't help feelin' that way, like it was my fault," Strip admitted. "You kinda wonder what woulda happened if you'd jus' watched for the signs, like maybe you missed somethin' that was important. Like maybe if you'd have paid more attention, maybe you coulda prevented it. I dunno, you and Tex sound the same, always tellin' me it ain't my fault."

"It probably ain't your fault," Sheriff replied. The King just shrugged lightly. "Y'know, Lynda's probably gonna be mad when she finds out you didn't recognize your own kid."

"I wasn't thinkin' that Oli could be Oliver, although now that I think about it I feel pretty stupid," Strip responded. "I was thrown off by the paintjob. But I ain't makin' the same mistake twice. I'm jus' relieved that Stacy hasn't told Lynda yet." Sheriff shrugged and nodded; that made sense to him. "'Cause you're probably right, Lynda would probably be mad, and it's hard to get her upset."

Meanwhile, Boost and Oli were slowing down, only slightly, however. "So, what's the whole deal with all of this? Last time I checked, you were following The King around," Boost started as they swerved around a group of cars. When they were next to each other again, Oli gave her response.

"Well, the only reason I went to Radiator Springs was because I wanted King to find out that it was me. I'm his daughter and he didn't even recognize me at first. It took Stacy, my "aunt" to jog his memory. And now I'm just backing out of the whole plan, 'cause I don't know what I was looking for," Oli explained. "So I figure I ain't got nothin' to lose. I'm goin' to jail either way, so why not have a little fun while my freedom lasts?"

"That's an interesting way to put it," Boost began, "but you aren't gonna get caught. You're with me, and pretty soon the boys'll be with us. As long as you watch out for us, we're gonna watch out for you."

"Yeah right, you'll ditch me as soon as the fuzz shows up," Oli snorted.

"No, I'm serious! You've got the freakin' engine of a racecar, and you've got some tact, too. We're cool now, no rivalries," Boost replied. "As long as you don't go goody-two-shoes on us, you're one of us now."

"Believe me, I won't be goin' good anytime soon," the red and black Plymouth Superbird replied. But the little voice deep down inside of Oli was telling her something different. _Oli, what're you doin', girl? You're not a delinquent! You're a good car, but you're hangin' around with _Boost_ you idiot! Honestly, you were a spaz _before _this all happened, but now, this is just a whole new level of spaz. _Oli rolled her eyes; why was she thinking like that? It didn't matter what her conscience told her, right? Ignoring the little voice, she sped up, and Boost did the same.

**)))**

The next day, Sheriff, The King, and Stacy reached Palm Mile Speedway. The first trailer they searched for was Lightning's, but they weren't having any luck. Since Strip was a forgiving car, he went and asked Chick Hicks if Lightning had arrived yet. To the protests of Stacy, he drove over. Chick snorted when he was tapped, thinking it was Lightning himself, but he turned around to find the brown eyes of Strip Weathers looking back at him.

"Whoa, I wasn't expectin' you to be here, uh…"

"Strip."

"Right, I wasn't expectin' you to be here, Strip. I thought you were McQueen there for a second. Anyway…can I help you?" Chick asked, awkwardly. He, in truth, did feel guilty about the accident he had caused at last year's Piston Cup race, but he had never been able to chock it up and apologize to The King.

"I was just about to ask if you'd seen Lightnin'," Strip replied.

"Oh, well, no… I mean, yeah, I've seen the kid drivin' around here somewhere, but you know him, always soaking up the spotlight." A thought struck Chick, and it made him cringe, but he owed it to his former racing rival, so he said, "Can I help you with…whatever you need…er, I can understand if you don't want my help."

Strip hesitated for a moment, sizing up his options. He was smart and he knew that Chick was only offering his help because of what had occurred at the Piston Cup race last season. Finally, he decided that he should use this to his advantage, so he replied by saying, "Yeah, you jus' might be able to help me, Chick. All I need you to do is help me find Oliver."

"Who's Oliver?" the green Buick asked confusedly.

"Oh, I meant Oli, sorry."

"Who's Oli…oh…wait, I know who you're talking about. That annoying Plymouth Superbird with the red and black paintjob. She was really, really annoying, man I don't even know why you'd want to talk to that thing, I mean seriously, she's…weird," Chick rambled. He stopped when he looked up and saw Strip's half-amused, half-annoyed expression, and Strip really never looked annoyed, only when it came to serious matters.

The green Buick realized he had run his mouth off again.

"Oli, or Oliver, is my daughter, by the way," Strip replied, grinning at Chick's slightly horrified, slightly confused expression. Before Chick could even apologize, the light blue Superbird said, "It's fine, I'm not mad." He was amused more than anything else, which relieved Chick a little bit. "She's probably around here somewhere."

"Umm…don't most parents try n' keep track of their kids? Er, I mean, their grown-up, adult kids?" Chick asked bluntly.

"For the most part."

"Then why have you lost track of her…?"

"Honestly, Chick?"

"Yeah, honestly, Strip."

"I have no earthly idea."

Chick stared at the light blue car, who just shrugged. Sighing whilst muttering, "This is going to be a long day," under his breath, the two cars started off. They caught up with Stacy and Sheriff – Stacy gave Chick an annoyed, I-can't-stand-you look, while Sheriff just snorted. "So, where should we start?" The green stock car looked around before looking over at Strip.

"Our best bet is to look for Tex first, 'cause he'll know if there's another Superbird around here," The King replied knowingly, so the four cars split up to find Tex; Stacy went with Sheriff, and Strip went with Chick. The Dinoco tent was not difficult to find, given that the new hotshot car was a car by the name of Fletcher Bleu. Fletcher was a sports car, and he was very stuck up and arrogant about his new position with Dinoco sponsoring him.

Tex was parked next to the young sports car, who was flaunting his Dinoco blue coloring. The press was eating him up, though. The gold colored car spotted Strip and left Fletcher with the Paparazzi, driving over to the former Dinoco golden boy. "Hey Strip, nice to see ya again," Tex greeted, glancing once at Chick. "Chick," he greeted with a nod. "What can I do for ya?"

"We're lookin' for Oli," Strip responded. Tex paused, looking back at the arrogant young Fletcher, before ushering the two racecars to a quieter place.

"I haven't seen her yet, but I figured she'd be comin' up this way," Tex said. "I haven't seen any other Superbirds, King, believe me, I'd tell ya if I had."

"That's just great; where do we go from here?" Chick snorted.

"You could try the outskirts of the lot," Tex suggested. "Knowin' Oli, she'll be hidin' there." They thanked Dinoco's owner and drove towards McQueen's tent.

"Oh, OK, Weathers, this is where I draw the line," Chick exclaimed, but he only received a hard pop in the side from the light blue Superbird next to him. "I am not goin' in there. There are a lot of rusty cars in there, and…they creep me out a little bit. So no, this is where I exit, stage left!" Before he could drive off, Strip gave him an even harder pop in the side. "Ow! Stop it!" Chick whined. Strip's left tire came up a few centimeters off the ground and Chick shut his mouth, deciding it was better not to argue.

Just as they were about to drive forward, Mack pulled in, with Doc next to him. They stopped and waited for Lightning to exit the truck. When the door finally opened, it hit the ground with a loud thud, and the red racecar emerged. "Hey Mr. The King… Hey…Chick…" Lightning began. Doc followed the rookie racecar over to the two older racecars. "What's up?"

"We're looking for Oli," Chick piped up. "Wait…did I just…nevermind." He shook his hood, surprised that he had gotten used to that phrase so quickly. "Anyways…"

"You lost her?" Doc practically roared, however, it was directed at Chick.

"Doc it ain't Chick's fault," Strip put in, in Chick's defense.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, it wasn't my fault!" Chick quickly added, agreeing with Strip.

"Sheriff and Stacy are searchin' for her right now," The King added. "It's jus' that we didn't expect her to take off like that when I realized it was her…" Doc's expression immediately softened; he had a hunch that Oli was actually Oliver. "I have to find her before Stacy tells Lynda that I didn't even recognize my own daughter."

"We'll help," Lightning assured him. "How hard can it be to find another Plymouth Superbird?"

Apparently, it was a lot harder than it really sounded.

**

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**

Review! New OC will be introduced in the next chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the reviews so far! I own nothing except for Oli! This is a short chapter, but it's an important one. Enjoy! **

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And still no luck, they couldn't find Oli anywhere. Lightning and Doc headed down to pit row, so Stacy and Strip took a break to watch the race with Tex. Sheriff kept looking, though, because he wanted to catch the red and black "delinquent" and be done with things. Chick gave Strip his best wishes before following after Lightning, taunting him all the while. So things got heated up and like always, Doc had to break it up. It was "the usual."

Oli, well Oli had left Boost, which probably wasn't the smartest idea. When he wasn't paying attention she had taken off, not caring what he thought. If she was going to mess with everyone's heads, it had to be her own ideas and her own trickery. The Superbird managed to avoid detection, resisting the urge to start the mind games. She was gonna haunt them like a ghost, until she got caught. And Oli knew full well that when she got caught, that was the end of the line. She'd be booked for all of her speeding and that would be the end of it. So her philosophy was: Why not have fun while it lasted?

The hardest part was waiting.

**)))**

When they arrived back in Radiator Springs, Stacy turned right back around. "I gotta go meet up with Lynda. She'll get worried if I don't show up," the yellow Corvette Sting Ray sighed. "And Strip, don't worry about it. She won't find out about Oliver, not from me anyways." King looked at her gratefully, before the two split and went their separate ways. The sun was just setting on the horizon, leaving the dusty streaks in the sky. The orange light cast shadows all over the place, making it easier for Oli to hide…

"Sally, you look great," Lightning swooned over his girlfriend. The Porsche just rolled her eyes, even though she was flattered. "How about you and I take a drive?"

"I don't think so, McQueen," Chick started, driving up to them. Strip lowered on his tires to watch the two younger cars duke it out, deciding not to get in the middle of it. "You and I are gonna race tonight. Once the sun goes down, I'm gonna beat you."

"If you can't even beat me out on the track, what makes you think you can beat me on my home turf?" Lightning snorted in reply. Chick was about to fire a smart-alec reply, but Lightning cut him off by saying, "You know what, that's fine with me, but prepare to lose." The two cars glared at one another, but Doc drove in between them and broke it up. "Doc, I can beat him! Plus it'll be great practice."

"I ain't sayin' you can't race with him," Doc replied. "I was gonna raise the stakes. How about Strip and I join this little race of yours, leave you both in the dust?" Chick, no matter how sorry he was about the accident, wanted to prove that he could beat Strip Weathers fair and square, while Lightning figured it would be nice to see Chick lose _again_, but maybe this time it would shut the Buick's trap.

"Alright, we're all for it," McQueen responded. "The race will start here at Flo's, and it'll weave through the town and up Tailfin Pass. Then when we get off the Pass, we'll come back through the town and cut through the forest back behind the Cozy Cone. It'll be a one lap race, and the first one to reach Doc's office at the end of the race wins." The other cars nodded their agreement. This was going to be quite an interesting night, as long as all went according to plan.

**)))**

When the sun went down and the stars dotted the sky, Sheriff drove out in front of the four racers. Strip and Doc were ready for a good practice run like this, while Chick was talking smack with Lightning. The two were rivals to the core, it was true. "Alright!" Sheriff called loudly, silencing McQueen and Chick. "First one to reach Doc's office wins the race and gets bragging rights!" When the police car gave the signal, they took off, kicking up dust behind them.

The first stretch of the race, utilizing Tailfin Pass, was dominated by Doc and Strip. Chick and Lightning had dropped a little farther back, and were both a little wary about heading into the mine. It was the quickest way to get to the other side, and if they took the long way around they'd never win. "Go on Chick," Lightning prompted, bursting past him. The green Buick bolted after his rival, and they entered the mine. It was dimly lit, and rather eerie considering that it was nighttime.

About halfway through the mine, Chick started hearing _things_. He didn't know what those things were, but he knew they were there. "Hey, McQueen, you hear that?" he asked, slowing down ever so slightly. Lightning just thought Chick was trying to trick him into slowing down, but when he realized the Buick wasn't next to him, he turned back around. "There's something else in here."

"It's probably just a couple bats or something," Lightning responded. "This mine is really, really old. Just ignore it." But Chick couldn't, and he chose not to voice this opinion. "Chick, it's just a couple of bats. It could be that we're hearing King and Doc's engines. They _are _ahead of us, in case you haven't noticed." Chick stood his ground and firmly insisted that it was something else. "What could it be? You don't believe in the Ghost Light, do you?"

"No!" Chick shot back shortly. "But I can hear something."

"It's not anything to worry your pretty…well pretty isn't the right word… It's nothing to worry about, Chick!"

"Fine, but when you get attacked by some disgusting monster, I won't be the one saving your doomed frame."

"That's cool," Lightning responded vaguely, smirking at Chick's annoyed expression. The red racecar was about to turn around and keep going, when an engine revved and tires squealed across the dirt. It wasn't Lightning, and it wasn't Chick. They both turned slowly and saw another car, right in front of them. They screamed and drove forward, but the car disappeared after that. "Who was _that_?" Lightning demanded, stopping and looking back. Chick didn't feel like sticking around to find out. "No, we have to find out who that was."

"But what if it's a lunatic that escaped from the looney bin?" Chick asked, but then he grinned. "Oh, I'll just let him have you. I hear that red is the new black!"

"Very funny, but this is serious," McQueen retorted, glaring at the green Buick. "What if King and Doc run into that car? We'd better warn them before we do any searching around, plus this mine is kinda creepy." The two racecars shivered and drove off, hoping to catch up with Strip and Doc.

Meanwhile, the two retired racers came to a halt. "Where are those boys?" Doc asked, squinting to see through the deepening darkness. "They were right behind us until we entered the mine! How could they have gotten lost? Chick may not know his way around, but I know Lightnin' does."

"Maybe they saw somethin'?" Strip suggested with a shrug. "Should we go back for 'em?"

"They could be doing this to lure us back so that they can pass us up," Doc replied. "But then again, Chick is a big enough idiot to the point where he rubs off on Lightning sometimes… Let's go." They were about to turn back when an engine revved and a car appeared. But the car was gone in a flash and they had barely enough time to get a close enough look to see who it was. Keeping to their path, they continued back towards the mine.

Chick and Lightning were wary as they came to the edge of the mine. They avoided looking into the hidden passages of the mine, just in case the mysterious car was there waiting for them. The moon brightened the path as they kept going forward, seriously afraid of what they might find. "Who d'you think that was…?" the red racecar asked curiously. Now that he was no longer scared, he was more curious than anything else. "It was like a commercial in between my thoughts, that's how fast the car was there and then gone."

"I bet we were hallucinating."

"Hallucinating the same thing? I don't think so, Chick."

"I don't see you coming up with any good theories," Chick snorted in reply.

"Well it doesn't matter because we can just ask Doc and King. Here they come right now," Lightning responded. The two veterans drove up to them, giving them both the once over. "Did you two see any weird cars while you were in the mine?"

"No, but we saw somethin'," Strip replied. "We couldn't tell who it was exactly, though. It was too dark and it happened too fast."

"Lightning almost leaked, that's how scared he got," Chick said, but he just received a hard nudge in the side from the aforementioned racecar. "We saw some weird car, too, but it happened wayyyy too fast for us to figure out who or what it was."

"Maybe we should head back to town, then," Doc suggested. "It could be anyone from Oli to Boost or one of the other three Boost hangs around with."

"It couldn't be Oli," Strip cut in. "She'd never even get this far. She's afraid of the dark."

"We'll rule out, Oli, then," Chick started quickly. "Let's just get out of here."

**

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Review! Change of plans, the new OC didn't pop up at all in this chapter. So, possibly within the next few chapters the new OC will show up, it just depends... *.*'


	6. Chapter 6

**I have decided! There's gonna be a sequel... Only a few chapters left for this fic, however. Oh, and a muse-issue has obviously arisen... **

**Wingo: *glares* How'd I end up here? **

**Me: I dunno. Ask Strip. **

**Strip: ...I have no earthly idea... **

**Me: *climbs onto Wingo's massive spoiler and tries to climb it like a ladder* Enjoy the chapter! **

* * *

The next day, Lightning and Chick were at it again, arguing. Sally had given up trying to reason with her boyfriend, so she pulled out of Flo's and drove back to the Cozy Cone. Strip and Doc were taking a drive through the woods behind the Cone, just to cool off because it was shady back there. "I have a feeling that the "mysterious" car we saw last night was Oli," Doc voiced, looking over at the light blue racecar. Strip looked thoughtful for a minute, but he finally nodded. He wouldn't put it past Oli. "Sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news."

"It makes sense," King replied. "But I don't get why she's doin' all this. Oli is smart, she always was. Even if she wasn't into racin' like we were, it didn't matter. I dunno what happened." Doc did feel bad for Strip, but there wasn't much he could do about it. They continued down the old dirt path, content with the silence. Sometimes it was nice to get away from the town, now that it had picked up and more tourists and citizens stayed there.

But voices broke the peaceful silence. It sounded like a male and female arguing, but one voice caught their attention more than the other. It sounded a great deal like Oli's voice, rising over the male voice. "Back off, Boost! I need some space to figure this out. Last night I saw something really weird," Oli said, her voice lowering as she went on. "It was a black Cadillac. I was up by the mine tryin' to track down Lightning but I ran into the Cadillac…"

Doc and Strip rounded the corner and Boost immediately took off. Oli realized that they were right there and she started to drive off, but King was too fast. He blocked her path as Doc came up next to her. "So, it was you last night?" Doc asked, narrowing his eyes. The red and black Plymouth Superbird looked up at him in confusion before she caught on to what he was saying.

"No! That wasn't me," she defended herself. "I was plannin' somethin' like it, but that black Cadillac beat me to it. I was scared witless so I drove back down here. You can ask Flo and Sally; they knew I was down in the town. They promised they wouldn't let anyone else know, but Boost came lookin' for me along with DJ and the others. They're mad on account of the fact that I ditched them at Palm Mile Speedway yesterday." Strip looked Oli in the eye and realized she was telling the truth. "I wouldn't lie about _that_. I _do _have a conscience."

"So it was the black Cadillac we saw then," Doc responded, catching the glance from Strip. "I haven't seen a Cadillac around here at all lately. Did you see the car up close?" Oli lowered onto her tires and thought for a moment, but she had the answer out in an instant.

"No. All I saw was a black Cadillac. And then it took off into the mine," the Superbird replied. "I haven't been alone since, only 'cause I'm paranoid. I think Sally is getting tired of me and I think she wants to have some "alone time" with Lightning. I don't know Flo very well so it's a little bit awkward…" Strip nudged his daughter.

"I'm right here," King said reassuringly. Oli wouldn't admit it (yet, anyways) but she was relieved to hear those words. She had forgotten what it was like to have someone around to take care of her, instead of taking care of herself. "Maybe we should get back to town and see if anyone else has seen this Cadillac."

**)))**

Sheriff saw Oli coming with Doc and King, so he figured they were bringing her to him for booking and all that good law-enforcement stuff, but the two Superbirds were pretty much inseparable. The change in attitude came as a surprise to everyone, but that didn't mean she was off the hook yet. The Fabulous Hudson Hornet drove around and parked in front of Oli. She shrank back and considered taking off, but Strip wasn't about to let her go this time. "Oliver Weathers, when we're finished with this whole black Cadillac business, you'll be needed in traffic court. Don't think you're off the hook just yet, girl," Doc said, narrowing his blue eyes. Oli could only nod, because arguing or protesting was probably not the smartest idea if she wanted Doc to believe her. "Sheriff, come with me." And the judge and the sheriff drove off.

Things at the café settled down, as Flo continued with her work. When things were completely calmed down, she parked and took a good look at the two Superbirds. On the surface, Oli and Strip were the same. They were about the same size, except Oli was a tiny bit smaller. They moved the same way, except Oli was a little more awkward about her size then Strip was. But personality wise, they were opposites. Oli was quick-tempered and easily unnerved, even though she was smart. Strip was smart, too, but he was laid-back and took things in stride, never letting things get to him unless need be.

"When do you plan to tell your wife about this?" the gold Cadillac Coupe de Ville asked, as he drove up. Tex parked across from Strip and looked at Oli with curiosity. She just held his gaze and smirked slightly, only for show. "Lynda needs to know, son."

"I'm not so sure that it's a good idea to tell her jus' yet," King replied. "Oli's not a little kid anymore. She can leave if she wants to, whether or not I think it's right."

"But it's been seven years since Lynda's seen 'er, Strip," Tex pointed out. "Seven Piston Cups, which is a long time in hindsight."

"Do I have any say in this?" Oli piped up. Every car looked over at her, waiting to see what she intended on doing. The red and black Superbird wasn't exactly sure if she was ready to try and fix everything, or if she was ready to repair the damage that she had done by leaving. But she didn't regret leaving, because obviously everything happens for a reason. She thought for a moment, wondering what she was going to say. "I don't know if I'm ready to fix things," she started slowly and carefully, "but I'm not ready to leave again."

**)))**

Stacy Blare, the yellow Corvette Sting Ray, was now in California, parked next to Lynda Weathers. The two had been long-time friends, and even though Stacy had promised Strip she wouldn't tell Lynda, it was eating her alive. She had to tell her eventually, and now seemed like the perfect time. It was quiet in the hotel lobby, and the breeze that floated through the open doors was warm and held a summer smell to it.

"Lynda, do you ever think about Oliver?" Stacy began, unsure of how to go about this.

"…Yes. Every time I look at Strip I see her, too. And vice versa," Lynda replied, smiling faintly. "Why? Did he bring her up while you were out there?"

"Oh, he did more than just talk about her," Stacy replied with a snort. "He kind of…found her."

**)))**

"That looks uncomfortable," Oli said, staring up at Cone number 4.

"It's really not. It's comfortable," Strip replied.

"Well, what if I don't fit?"

"If I can fit, you'll fit, darlin'."

"I don't see how a _Superbird _can fit in there," Oli responded. She put one tire on the ramp that led into Cone number 4 and immediately shied away. "What if I get stuck? That would be…awkward and uncomfortable."

"You won't."

"But I'm saying what _if _I get stuck."

"That's what Mater's here for," Tex said, driving up to the two Superbirds. "He'll tow you out." Oli hated the tow cable. It gave her the creeps, personally. But if she needed to be towed, Mater was the only tow truck she trusted. "Just get some sleep, hun. You'll need it when Lynda finds out." Oli grinned in spite of herself, as she was a little excited about seeing her mother again. Strip grinned as well; if Oli was comfortable with all of this, he was, too.

The red and black Superbird drove up the ramp and into Cone number 4. She didn't worry about it anymore.

**)))**

Later that night, police sirens woke Oli up. She was out of her cone in an instant, looking up the road curiously. Sheriff was driving up the road in hot pursuit of a black Cadillac. Oli peeled out of the parking lot in an instant, tearing after Sheriff. She didn't think twice about what she was getting herself into this time…

They tore up Tailfin Pass and Oli was right next to Sheriff. The police officer didn't want any help, but he knew he needed it. This Cadillac was almost like a ghost – it was fast and it seemed to fade into the shadows and the fade back out. The two very-different cars sped past the Wheel Well motel; Oli broke away from Sheriff and chased after the Cadillac furiously.

She caught up to it and tried to stop it, but her tire only went right through him. The Cadillac veered off course and into the mine, where Oli followed. The Cadillac led her halfway in before swerving around and stopping. He had deep brown eyes and a devious grin. "Who are you? Or…what are you?" Oli demanded, backing away in fear.

"I'm Russell Garmen, and I'm the Phantom Miner," the Cadillac replied. Oli noted that he had an accent that was a mix between German and Spanish. Before she could ask any more questions, Russell said, "I was killed by two cars. Both were careless and selfish, which resulted in my death. I hadn't done anything to them, and they came in and…and I never came out."

"Why'd you bring me here, huh?"

"Because you followed me. You were the first one who saw me, just before Hicks and McQueen saw me. But I'm only concerned about the stock car. I suggest you leave while you still can," Russell warned, his voice taking on a darker tone. Oli was too scared to move, so she stayed put. "Suit yourself. _It's your funeral._"

And then everything went black.

**

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**

Review!

**Wingo: *glares* Get off my spoiler. **

**Me: I don't think so! **


	7. Chapter 7

**There's one chapter left after this one, for a total of eight! **

**Strip: And then you'll post the first chapter of the sequel. **

**Me: Exactly! *climbs off of Wingo's spoiler* **

**Wingo: Finally! *looks annoyed* **

* * *

"Strip, if she's hurt…" This was the voice that woke Oli up. Well, the real-world voice. The voice of Russell was still floating around in her mind, and the last words she could recall were "it's your funeral." "I'm serious, Strip, if she's hurt…" But Oli didn't catch the last part of the sentence, because she was still a little dazed and confused. She felt like she was trapped in a nightmarish world, with just the blackness and the white, chalky words floating through her mind, where she couldn't scream and she couldn't wake up.

Meanwhile, Stacy was driving around in circles impatiently. She was also watching Strip Weathers get chewed out by his wife for not taking better care of their daughter. "She could've gotten hurt – what if she is hurt?" Lynda asked, more worried than anything else. "First you, and now her; what is it with this family and _injuries_? I'm barely able to keep you out of trouble." But she nuzzled him lovingly, to try and calm her nerves.

The yellow Sting Ray drove up the ramp and knocked her tire against Cone number 4's door. Something thumped behind it and someone yelped, but the edged open ever so slightly. A frazzled looking Superbird was parked on the other side. "Stacy…? Wha-what happened? I thought I was _dead_." The Corvette looked at her "niece" incredulously. Dead? What?

"Dead? Why would you be dead?" Stacy asked, moving aside so Oli could leave the cone. The younger car didn't dare make a move, still confused and out of her wits.

"But…Russell…the black Cadillac…! He said it was my funeral, and-and… Wha-?"

"Who's Russell?" Stacy asked, but before she could get an answer out of the detached Oli, Lynda moved her aside and rushed over to her daughter. The younger Superbird was surprised as her mother practically pushed her out of the cone and onto the asphalt.

"Oliver we were so worried," Lynda said, taking in her daughter's paintjob and shocked expression. "Where've you been?" But Oli was too confused to say anything. She wanted to say something, but nothing was coming out. Stacy approached and parked in front of Oli, nudging her with her tire.

"Kiddo, what's wrong?" she asked, finally getting the Superbird's attention. "You seem spaced out."

"Russell was the black Cadillac," she replied, blinking. Stacy and Lynda were confused, but Strip wasn't. He prompted her to go on, so she continued by saying, "He's like a phantom or something…er, I dunno. He said he was "more concerned with the green stock car" rather than the rest of us…I think…I don't remember what happened after that, 'cept he said it was my funeral…"

"Sheriff should probably know about that," Strip pointed out, and he was just about to go get the sheriff, but Stacy stopped him.

"I'll go, you stay here with Lynda," she said, turning and driving off. The three cars cringed as Stacy just about ran someone down.

"She has the driving skills of a potato," Lynda sighed, shaking her hood. She turned her blue eyes back to Oli, who was calming down. "Are you hurt?" Oli wasn't quite sure yet, so she stayed silent. Lynda, mostly in fear, smacked Strip's chassis with her tire. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," Oli finally managed, but her eyes betrayed her. "Just a little spooked…"

"That's a relief," Lynda replied, smiling gently. "I was worried that something had happened to you." There was an awkward pause, before Lynda realized that Oli was now averting her gray blue eyes away in shame, and Strip was just glancing around like nothing was out of the ordinary. "What's going on? What are you two hiding?"

"Nothin'," the two Superbirds replied in unison, glancing at her. Lynda gave them both stern looks and they, in turn, both looked down with sheepish grins on their faces. She had never realized it, but Oli and Strip had the same grin, too.

"Oli got into some trouble," King told his wife. Before he continued, she interrupted him.

"When did we start calling her "Oli" instead of "Oliver," Strip?"

"Oh, right. The nickname's cute, dear, and it won't confuse people about her gender," he pointed out in return, grinning.

"I guess… But I've always liked Oliver…"

"Nobody really knows me as Oliver, so Oli works better," the red and black Superbird spoke up, a tepid smile making itself known. Lynda looked from her husband to her daughter and rolled her eyes, but she smiled anyway.

"Well, anyway," Strip continued, "she's in trouble for reckless driving and speeding."

"Oliver!" Lynda exclaimed, staring at her daughter in shock and upset. "We raised you better than that."

"I know," she said, looking back down at the pavement. "But it was for good reason…I guess…"

"But it doesn't matter," Strip said. "Jus' take things in stride and you'll be fine."

"I ain't worried," she said whilst smirking. Sheriff and Stacy drove over to the Cozy Cone parking lot and surveyed the scene for a moment. It was pretty amusing to the Corvette, at least. Oli turned and looked at them, settling on her tires. "You hear to ask about Russell?"

"Yep," Stacy said, motioning for Sheriff to get to work.

"What'd this Russell guy tell you, first off," Sheriff asked, parking in front of Oli. She recounted the story of what Russell had said to her, how he was the Phantom Miner and how he had said it was her funeral, and had in truth not even touched her. When she finished telling the story, the police car said, "You were asleep when I finally got to the mine. The Cadillac, er, Mr. Garmen…was gone." Oli's eyes darkened for a second. She had never believed in ghosts (well, that's what she _told _herself) but this was something different. It was obvious that something weird was going on. "Now, the green stock car sounds like Chick. I'll talk to him."

**)))**

"Russell Garmen?" Chick asked, half-choking on his oil. "I have never heard of him." Sheriff eyed the younger car with narrowed eyes. He didn't believe a word this stock car said. "I'm telling you, you've got the wrong car. I'm not the only good looking green stock car around here, am I?" Sheriff just rolled his eyes and continued on with his questions.

"There was a Russell Garmen who died here about eight years back, and everyone thought it was a suicide, however, Doc and I decided that it was a homicide," Sheriff said, glaring at Chick. "Or carslaughter, whatever you wanna call it. You know anything?"

"No, why would I? I was busy burning up the racetracks," Chick replied, taking another sip of oil. His tire was tapping against the pavement, which Sheriff committed to memory. He'd use that in his investigative report for Doc later on. "I dunno know anything about Russ."

"I didn't say his name was Russ, Hicks! Now spill it," Sheriff said. "Before I get Doc to order a subpoena and then you'll be forced to produce evidence!" Chick realized his slip up and did a spit take, spraying oil all over the sheriff. "Now, Hicks!"

"OK, sheesh… Russ Garmen was workin' in the mines," Chick started in, his voice low. "He was a friend of mine – and Fletcher Bleu's friend, too – so we went to visit him before headin' out to our races. We talked like any normal group of cars would, but he wanted to race. Fletch and I agreed to it." The Buick stopped to take a sip of his oil to ease his nerves. "But along the way he knocked over one of the barrels of oil and it spilled all over the place. The dynamite the other workers had been using was still lying there, waiting to be packed up, and the oil spilled across the fuse. Fletch's brakes failed and he slammed into the box, knocking it over. It set it off and the fuse lit up. We barely had time to get out of the mine before it exploded. That was the last time I ever saw Russ."

"You don't seem too distraught about it," Sheriff replied. "If he was a friend of yours, you'd probably feel remorse."

"Hey, it wasn't my fault," Chick replied, a little too defensively. "Fletch's brakes failed and Russ knocked over the barrel. I didn't have anything to do with it. I was just there."

"You should've reported it, at least," the police cruiser scolded the younger car. "Now, I assume you're a friend of Fletch's?"

"I was. Until he stole the Dinoco sponsorship right out from under my tires," Chick snorted. "If you want to talk to him, just look for a bunch of party girls. He'll be with them."

**)))**

"Be careful," Lynda said, her voice stern. "I don't want you two crashing."

"I've had my fair share of scares," Oli replied, shrugging lightly. "It ain't like crashing is rare."

"We'll be fine," Strip reassured his wife. "It's jus' a drive."

With that, Oli peeled out of the parking lot and took off. Lynda winced at the sound of squealing tires and watched her husband follow. When they were out of sight, she drove back over to Flo's. Dinoco's new, (self-proclaimed, that is) "golden boy" was surrounded by a group of swooning females. They were mostly just petite little Porsches, painted pink. Lynda saw the police cruiser driving up the road with a shaken Chick following him. The casual look Chick had on was all fake, of that she was pretty sure.

"Alright girls, outta the way. Fletch is being accused of a crime," Sheriff barked. Half of the Porsches swooned at the perceived "bad-boy" Fletcher, but the other half shrank back and looked for someone else popular. One of the Porsches Lynda recognized, so she snagged the younger car's tire and pulled her towards her. Terrified gray eyes looked back at her, the girl's pink paint glistening in the sunlight.

"Marissa?" Lynda asked in disbelief. "What're you doin' with a player like Fletcher?"

"I dunno, just don' tell Dad!" Marissa whimpered in reply. "Nobody else talks to me!" Marissa was the daughter of Darrell Cartrip and his wife, Sandy. She was younger than Oli, around the age of Sally. "Everyone calls me Eggs. That's really embarrassing!"

"Dear, just stay with me for now, alright? Fletcher is bad news," Lynda replied, and Eggs settled in next to Mrs. Weathers.

They watched as Fletcher glared at Sheriff. "What was that for?" the arrogant young car asked. He had a slight accent, but nobody could really tell what kind of accent it was.

"Turn the music down, son," Sheriff ordered. "We need to talk about a certain Russell Garmen." The music came to an abrupt halt, and Fletch looked at Chick, anger sparking in his eyes.

"You told the sheriff? What'd you say, Hicks?" the sports car demanded. Chick backed up and drove off while he still had the chance, followed by a terrified Eggs. Lynda kept her eyes on Fletch and the sheriff. What was this Russell business about? "Sheriff, I don't know a thing about Russ Garmen."

"Since when did I tell you his name was Russ? I said Russell," Sheriff replied shortly. "I'll tell you what I told Mr. Hicks: If you don't give it up willingly, I'll just have to get a subpoena from Doc. That'll force you to produce evidence, city-boy. Now what do you know? Let's see if your story collaborates with Chick's."

"…Fine!" Fletcher shouted angrily. "We went to see Russ. We raced. He knocked over the barrel, and Chick's brakes failed and he slammed into the box. It was set off and we escaped. Russell died in the explosion. It's as simple as that."

"You don't sound remorseful, either."

"It wasn't my fault. It was Chick's fault for slamming into the box, and it was Russ' fault for knocking over the barrel," Fletch replied.

"Chick told me that your brakes failed and that you slammed into the box. Who's telling the truth?" Sheriff asked, but he figured Fletch'd lie just to save his own frame.

"Bloody – me of course! Who're you gonna believe? That loser of a racecar or me? I'm Fletcher Bleu! This is insane. Are you pressing charges? Is that why you're suddenly interested in his death? Well it was an accident. We didn't intend for Russ to die that day; do you think we went there knowing we'd never see him again after that? He was like my brother. You think I killed him? Well, you're insane if you think we killed him! Chick is trying to save himself! If you're pressing charges, you'll be hearing from my lawyer!" Fletch ranted, before he peeled out of Flo's V8 café.

"I have to talk to Doc, n' see whether or not charges should be pressed," Sheriff replied. "But right now, I think Chick is the most believable. Fletcher seems mentally unstable about the whole situation."

**)))**

Oli cut off the regular road and made her way along the dirt path that led to the mine. She was nervous, but she was determined to figure out what exactly had happened last night. Strip cut in front of her so that she couldn't get into the mine. "What're you even lookin' for?" he asked.

"I just need to know what happened."

"How do you expect to figure that out by going into the mine? If I'm guessing right, "Russell" will only appear at night."

"Well how're we gonna know if we don't try?" Oli replied, driving around him. Strip couldn't argue with that logic, so he followed her into the mine. "What I don't get is why Russell said "it's your funeral" and didn't even do anything."

"Why're you complanin'?"

"I'm not, but it doesn't make sense. I have to know," she responded as they drove further in. "I bet Sheriff was right when he said the green stock car was probably Chick. He's the only stock car I know, actually. Well, the only green one, anyway. So, what does Chick have to do with all of this? And I mean, if Russell is a "phantom" per say, how's he gonna get his revenge? S'not like phantoms can touch people…right? Right!"

"I've never dealt with phantoms, so I wouldn't know."

"Still, so many questions unanswered! And did he have kids? A wife? And he blends in like a regular car, not like a phantom, so why's he running? Maybe Chick would recognize him!" Oli thought aloud.

"Whoa, slow down," Strip said. "You're goin' a mile a minute." But Oli ignored him.

"Wait, what if Chick made Russell crash in the mine? Or what if Russell had actually been trying to kill Chick? Or what if – hey, why'd you stop?" She drove back and realized that there were blackened tire tracks in the dirt. Three sets. Oli tried to smudge one out, and it worked – until the tracks reappeared. There was also a blackened, charred spot a few feet away, and a sticky black puddle was frozen in place on the ground. "Those…uh, aren't ours…are they…?"

"Nope."

"Well then…whose are they?" the red and black Superbird asked, looking around. And all of a sudden, the tire tracks and the charred mark on the ground disappeared, along with the sticky black puddle.

**)))**

"Well, what'd you find out, Sheriff?" Doc asked as they drove into his office. Sheriff recounted the events and facts of the day, including the events of the previous night. The subject of pressing charges came up, and Doc put some of his tools away with a thoughtful expression. "There's not enough evidence to charge Fletcher or Chick. I think right now it would all be assumption, because there were no witnesses and no weapon, in all actuality of things. Let them both off the hook. Besides, there's no such thing as phantoms. It's probably just a car impersonating Russell."

Sheriff left Doc's office and went to find Chick. The stock car was in his cone but he answered when the sheriff knocked. "What do you want now?" he demanded curtly. "I'm in hot oil as it is, so just get it over with."

"You're free to go. There'll be no more questions about Russell Garmen."

"Terrific," Chick said in annoyance. "Now leave." The door closed and Sheriff just rolled his eyes, pulling out of the parking lot and driving back to Flo's. Fletcher had returned and was parked there with an annoyed expression.

"Marvelous, do you want the name of my lawyer?" Fletch asked sarcastically.

"No, boy! Have some respect! I'm here to tell you that we're not chargin' you. We're not chargin' Chick, either. You're free to go!" Sheriff replied.

"Finally. Fletcher Bleu's amazing name is cleared of all wrong-doing," he announced. "Girls, you may swoon." And all of the little Porsches (except for Eggs) drove up to him. Sheriff snorted and turned around, driving back to his post at the Radiator Spring's sign. Lynda sighed and tapped her tire against the pavement, wondering when her daughter and husband would be back. And right on cue, they were driving up to her.

"Good, you're both in once piece," she commented. She noted their quietness and said, "What's wrong?"

"Nothin'," Oli said, grinning slightly. "What's with Fletcher? He looks a little annoyed." Lynda explained everything that had gone on at the station while the two had been gone. "So we missed all the fun? Huh, too bad. I guess we don't have to worry about it again. I ain't goin' back to that mine, though."

"That's alright with me," Lynda said with a sigh. The sun was setting on the horizon, and the sky was dusted with pink, purple, and orange streaks. This hot and dusty day was coming to an end. Oli could see the sad expression in her mother's eyes, and she realized what the station wagon was thinking.

"I think I'll stick around," Oli said, "for just a little while." Lynda looked up with tear filled eyes. "Don't go all sappy on me. I don't wanna cry, too…" The younger Superbird looked down before looking back up, gray blue eyes soft. But in an instant, she revved her engine. "Now, let's race."

"Hey, hey I wanna race!" Ian declared, coming out from behind cone number four. Lightning and Sally drove over to the group.

"If you don't mind, Mr. The King, Sally and I would like to join you two – er, three, counting Ian, of course," Lightning said. Sheriff heard this and drove over, giving each car a stern look.

"To be safe, I'll join this race, too."

"It's up to Oli," Strip said, looking proud. The red and black Plymouth Superbird lowered onto her tires for a moment before grinning.

"That's cool with me. The more the merrier."

"Sweet!" Ian exclaimed.

The group of cars lined up in front of the firehouse. Lynda and Flo were on the sidelines, watching as Ramone joined the lineup, as well. Oli looked around and she finally felt at ease. No more running, no more hiding, and no more pretending she was someone that she wasn't. For once in seven years, she was at peace.

**

* * *

**

Review! Only one chapter left!

Chick: Fantastic. This will finally be over.

Me: *slaps Chick's hood* Shush! You know you're enjoying this fic.

Chick: *snorts* Yeah right.

Strip: How'd he even get in here?

Me: I dunno. Ask Wingo.

Wingo: *glares*


	8. Chapter 8

**The last chapter! **

**Wingo: Finally! **

**Me: *rolls eyes* Hopefully, this chapter is good. **

* * *

**Three Months Later…**

"Checkered flag…_here I come_!" Lightning said, hitting the gas. He crossed the finish line of Smasherville's Speedway, and the crowd practically blew up in excitement. McQueen had just won his first Piston Cup, beating out Chick Hicks. The green stock car blamed it on the whole mess with Russell Garmen a few months back, but everyone knew that wasn't it.

Sally was waiting for Lightning when he got off the track. "You did it, Lightning…" she said proudly, nuzzling him. The red racecar beamed.

"Sally, I've wanted to ask you this for a while now…but would you marry me?"

"Of course," the Porsche replied, eyes welling up with tears. Just as Lightning smiled even wider, the reporters and Paparazzi showed up. They surrounded McQueen, who only wanted to be with Sally at that moment in time, but she just grinned and drove back over to the others. Chick was glaring at the ground, getting ready to split. He didn't need to stick around to hear about how Lightning whooped every other car on the track. He'd seen it himself.

"McQueen, you've just won your first Piston Cup! How does it feel to be the new season champ?" one reporter fired.

"Amazing, but can I just-"

"Lightning, you'll be competing next season, won't you?" another reporter asked hurriedly.

"You bet I'll be competing next season, but I need to see my girlfriend right now, so could you just, like-"

"McQueen, show us the bolt!"

"Here's the lens baby!"

Lightning would talk to the reporters later, but right now, his eyes were on Sally, the beautiful baby blue Porsche he was going to marry. And he knew just what'd get everyone's attention, so he yelled, "Hey! Oli!" The red and black Plymouth Superbird appeared from behind a crowd of other cars. This was the first time any of the reporters had seen her.

"Oi! Lightning, whaddaya need?" Oli called back to him. The reporters all turned around and stared at the Superbird. They had never seen another one besides Strip Weathers. And that's when the gray blue eyed car realized that Lightning needed a distraction. Strip appeared next to her and nudged her in the side.

"You're a Weathers girl," he said. "It's your claim to fame." The reporters converged on them, intrigued by the new Superbird. Lightning chuckled and drove over to Sally, who was laughing at Oli's bewildered-yet-excited expression.

"Poor Oli," she said, looking at Lightning lovingly. They nuzzled each other as Ian raced around trying to get the reporters' attention.

"Yo, guys! I'm a silver Ferrari! Dude! Hey, lady with the yellow paintjob! Yo! Guys! I'm hot!" Ian yelled over the roar of the chaos. Stacy pulled the younger car away, telling him that he just needed a cute posse like Fletcher.

Speaking of Fletch, he was sulking in the corner. Tex was heading over to congratulate Lightning, but the baby blue sports car stopped him. "Tex, I'm gonna get another contract, right?" he asked, his eyes cocky, angry, and arrogant.

"We'll see," Tex replied, smirking at Fletcher's bewildered expression as he drove over to Lightning. The Porsche nudged Lightning, who looked over at Tex curiously. "Hey Lightnin'. Just wanted to congratulate you on your win."

"Thanks Mr. Tex," Lightning replied, grinning.

"That there was some real racin'. The stakes'll be even higher next year."

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

"That's good, real good. I admire that about you, Lightnin'. Good luck, and I'll be seein' you around town."

"Be seein' you, Mr. Tex!" Lightning called after him. "And thanks for everything!" Tex nodded and then turned his attention to the two Superbirds and the station wagon. He drove over to them, and the Paparazzi made a pathway, still snapping pictures.

"Strip, Lynda, Oli," he greeted. The younger Superbird looked at him curiously. "Darlin', take your daddy here out on the track. Make sure he's still in shape."

"Tex," Strip commented, but Oli had already gunned her engine and was headed for the track. The reporters were eating this up, which is why Tex had done it…and just for kicks. The gold car laughed and nudged Strip, winking once. The light blue Superbird eyed Tex, but followed after his daughter. The two cars were on the track in an instant with Oli eager to start. Racing had grown on her in the past few months.

"Five laps?" Oli asked.

"Fine with me," Strip replied, shrugging lightly.

"Good. I want a head start, though. And don't let me win, either."

"Not a chance." And with that he took off, taking the track by storm. Oli was quick to follow, using all of the speed she possessed. Strip knew she was coming up next to him before she even got there, so he moved to the left ever so slightly, blocking her off. Tires screeched behind him, and Oli moved to the right. But of course, he moved as well. She fell back purposefully as the first lap was completed. How was she supposed to pass him? It wasn't the speed that she needed or lacked, it was the skill. It was the experience.

"Use your hood, Oli," she told herself, speeding up. She gunned it and tried to pass, but it didn't work. He just blocked her off again. There had to be a way to pass him, there just had to be. She recalled the other races she had watched, and nothing useful came to mind. The second lap was now completed, and she felt the pressure. For a moment, her gray blue eyes flickered to Tex. The gold car was watching the "race" intently, while her mother just waved a tire.

Oli looked back to the track and just barely had enough time to avoid the oncoming wall. She got right back into place, a little shaken, but alright. She was a few paces behind Strip now, but before she could kick it into overdrive, she saw a slight opening. Whenever they would round a turn, he went wide, opening up a gap closer to the inside. Of course it was closed off rather quickly, almost like a valve. And Oli realized all she had to do was get through the gap when they rounded the turn.

By the time she had this figured out, lap three had been completed. She sped up but came up short and couldn't get through the opening. And then lap four was over and done, and now she only had lap five – the last lap – to pass Strip. "Alright, Oli, just relax and pretend you're out on the dirt roads, not the track," she told herself. After a split second of hesitation, she kicked it into overdrive as they came towards the final turn.

And like she had predicted, he went wide, creating an opening. She shot forward and barely managed, but she wasn't in front of him, she was _next _to him. Strip looked a little surprised, but he didn't let up any. The last lap was coming to an end, but neither car was able to get ahead. They came across the finish line at full speed, but Oli hit the brakes. A thought had struck her. Keeping the thought to herself, she chased after her father, following back towards Tex and the others.

"Good work, Oli," Tex said. "But what was the stop at the end?"

"That? Oh, that wasn't anything," she replied vaguely. The reporters fell silent and the clicking stopped. She looked around and realized there was no way they believed her. She sighed and finally said, "I need to pick up where Strip left off."

Doc nudged Lightning when he drove over. "You did good, kid, you did good."

"Thanks, Doc, but I have the team to thank for that, too," McQueen replied.

"Float like a Cadillac…"

"…sting like a beamer."

"No way!" Ian cut in, looking at them with amused, ice blue eyes. "Float like a _Superbird_, is more like it!" The Hudson Hornet and the red racecar looked at the Ferrari in confusion. "Nevermind, you'll find out what I meant later. Let's go celebrate your win!"

And with that, the group headed back to Radiator Springs.

But it wasn't over, not by a long shot.

**)))**

Chick awoke to a sharp knock on cone number five's door. He jolted awake and pressed the button, looking into the darkness to see who would bother him at three in the morning. Fletcher was parked at the end of the small ramp, tapping his tire impatiently against the ground. "Fletcher? What do you want? It's three in the morning! I'm gettin' up early so I can get out of this hole in the wall town!" Chick hissed.

"Oh shut up," Fletcher said, rolling his eyes. "You almost got us caught, stupid. We have to go make sure there's no evidence left behind. Our careers are over if we get caught." The stock car narrowed his eyes before pressing the button to close the door. Fletch got a tire in between the door and the floor, forcing it back up. "No, you got us into this bloody mess, and you're going to get us out. Now move your sorry aft out of the cone."

"You can't tell me what to do, Fletcher!" Chick snapped, pushing him back as hard as possible.

"I've got friends, Hicks, that you wouldn't want to meet. They won't ever find your frame if you don't help me," Fletch threatened.

"We made a pact – nobody's gonna find out," the stock car replied.

"Obviously someone's been poking around!"

"Listen, Fletcher. I saw that phantom, and it was not an impersonator. But that's what everyone thinks he is, someone impersonating Russell. So all we gotta do is play along with it, and pretend that's what's going on. Russ can't prove anything, even if he has come back from the dead," Chick said in reply, trying to keep his cool.

"Phantoms aren't real, you idiot," Fletch responded. "You'll be sorry, Hicks. You'll be sorry." With that, the blue racecar peeled out of the parking lot and was gone in a flash. Chick wondered what he meant, and considered that Fletcher was saying this out of anger, more than anything else. But then again…

**)))**

"You seen Hicks anywhere?" Sheriff asked Lightning the next morning. The red racecar shrugged and gave him a good-riddance look. Another day without Chick bothering him was a good day in his book. Oli was deep in a conversation with Strip and Tex, but she stopped mid-sentence and did a 180, looking at Sheriff curiously.

"He left last night," she said. "I saw him wake up his driver and they took off."

"What were you doin' up that late?" Doc asked her.

"Somebody was yellin', and it woke me up," she replied, shrugging lightly. "Why?"

"Fletcher ain't around, either," Sheriff replied.

"He's probably with some girl," Ian snorted. Everyone looked at him. "He was with some pink Porsche last night. Don't know her name. Don't really care, either." Lynda shook her hood as she realized who that pink Porsche was…

"That's terrific," Oli said in annoyance. "Fletcher needs to learn a thing or two about manners."

"Whatever, who cares?" Lightning asked, taking a swig of oil. "We can do without both of them." The group of cars agreed wholeheartedly and went back to business. "Oh, wait!" Lightning looked up. "Ian, what did you mean when you said 'float like a Superbird?'"

"Oh yeah! I forgot all about that! Oli should be able to tell you," the silver Ferrari replied, getting back to his oil. The cars fell silent as Oli smacked Ian in the side.

"You weren't supposed to say anything!" she said, glaring at him.

"Well, it's only right that Lightning know he's gonna have some competition."

"I don't even have a sponsor, Ian."

"Wait, slow down!" Lightning cut in. "Competition? Sponsor? What are you talking about?"

"She wants to race," Tex replied.

"Oh, that is not happening!" Lynda said firmly as Mater did a spit take.

"Why not?" Oli asked. "I don't have anything else to do."

"Racing is not a substitute!" the station wagon responded.

"Dad said it was OK!" the younger Superbird said quickly, pointing a tire at Strip. Lynda looked at him, waiting for an answer. He was quiet for a minute.

"Strip!"

"Well, why not? I don't think it's such a bad idea."

"I guarantee the same thing that happened to you will happen to her!" Lynda replied. "Our daughter is not racing. Not even if she was sponsored by Dinoco."

"But, mom! I've already got someone who's willing to sponsor me," Oli cut in.

"Without asking me?"

"Yeah… It was Tex's idea!"

"Tex!"

"Lynda," the gold Cadillac Coupe de Ville started, "Oli can learn to be careful."

"Chick is racing," she replied, looking at the three cars across from her.

"He won't try it again," Oli put in. "Not after what it did to his reputation the first time."

"What about Fletcher?"

"Fletcher wouldn't try anything," Tex reassured her. Lynda sighed.

"…Who did you have in mind as your sponsor?"

"I don't wanna jinx it!" Oli replied seriously. "So we'll wait and see. Next season is a long ways away. Things could change."

**)))**

Fletcher had left the pink Porsche earlier that day, and was now sitting in front of the mine. Did he really want to go in there? There was no reason not to go in. Plus, he wasn't afraid of phantoms, even if they were real. Carefully, he drove into the mine, the air cooling considerably once inside. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so he lowered his guard ever so slightly. "I don't see what Chick is so worried about! There's nothing in here to be afraid of."

The car looked throughout the whole mine, and there was absolutely nothing – no evidence of anything, whatsoever. Of course… "So, if I make it look like Hicks worked alone…" Fletcher smirked and did what he had come to the mine to do. Planting a few miniscule-yet-important pieces of evidence was all that it would take… And now, he'd let the bait sit. Eventually, someone would have to find it.

"I told you you'd pay," Fletch said with a smirk. "And so the unstoppable, indomitable Fletcher Bleu comes out on top again!"

**)))**

Everything was almost perfect. It was as close as one could get to perfect. The sky was dusted with soft pastel colors in this fall season, and a nice breeze was blowing through the town. It cooled the asphalt down quite considerably as Mater, Sally, and Lightning headed towards the Wheel Well. That's where they were celebrating Lightning's big win. With no Fletcher and no Chick around to spoil things, it couldn't have gotten any better. Ian tagged along, occasionally turning around to make sure Sheriff was following along. The town was getting back into the normal swing of things. Doc was a little farther back with Strip and Lynda, watching Oli and Tex talk animatedly about racing and other things. Stacy was demonstrating her horrible driving skills, like always, while Darrell kept an eye on his daughter, who had finally wandered back towards the friendly group of cars.

It was…well, perfect.

"We don't have anything left to worry about," Lightning said, looking over at Sally and Mater.

"Finally," Sally sighed. There was a long pause until Mater started giggling.

"Lightnin' and Sally, parked beneath a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!"

**

* * *

**

For some reason, I found the ending difficult to write, but oh well! Now I have to start the sequel. This is probably the fastest I've ever written and posted a story that wasn't a one-shot.

**Chick: Wonderful. I hope I'm not in it. **

**Me: Shut up. I'm the writer, I can do whatever I want with you, mister. **

**Chick: *glares* **

**Strip: Hey, what happened to Wingo...? **

**Me: *coughs* I have no idea. **


End file.
